2016 Rugby League Four Nations Betting Preview

The 2016 Rugby League Four Nations tournament gets underway this week, and this time around the action will be taking place right here in the UK. Australia will take on Scotland at the Lightstream Stadium in Hull on Friday 28th October, and England will face New Zealand on Saturday 29th October at the John Smith’s Stadium in Huddersfield. New Zealand are the current champions, and they will obviously be looking to successfully defend that title, but the bookmakers' odds suggest they have a different opinion about who will win.

Form

Australia played their first international rugby league match way back in 1908, and the team has been a dominant force in the sport ever since. The Kangaroos have won the Rugby League World Cup ten times, including the most recent competition in 2013, and they have won two of the four Rugby League Four Nations tournaments that have been held. The first of those wins was achieved in 2009, when Australia beat England by 46-16, and the second was in 2011, when Australia again beat England, on that occasion by 30-8.

New Zealand is the second-oldest national rugby league team in the world, and has participated in the Rugby League World Cup since 1954. Despite competing for the World Cup 14 times, the Kiwis have only won it once, and that was in 2008. The team has, however, fared much betting in the Rugby League Four Nations tournament, winning in 2010 by beating Australia 16-12, and winning again in 2014 by beating Australia 22-18.

England boasts the accolade of being the world’s oldest national rugby league team, having first played in 1904. The team has participated in the Rugby League World Cup five times, and has yet to win that competition, although they were runners-up in 1975 and 1995. England are still awaiting their first win in the Rugby League Four Nations tournament after making the final in both 2009 and 2011, before losing to Australia on both occasions.

Scotland are the least successful of the four nations in this tournament, and that is reflected in the odds currently being offered on them by the bookmakers. The Bravehearts have participated in three Rugby League World Cup competitions, but have never proceeded beyond the quarter finals stage – which they have reached just once, in 2013. This is the first time that Scotland have qualified for the Rugby League Four Nations tournament.

Sports.net’s View

Bettors who like to back an underdog to spring a big surprise will no doubt find the huge odds available on Scotland very attractive, but whilst the team can be expected to give their all in this tournament, they will have an uphill struggle from the outset. England have a much better chance of reaching the final than Scotland, having already achieved the feat on two previous occasions, but the form points to Australia or New Zealand emerging as the ultimate winners once again.

Although Australia and New Zealand have both won this tournament twice, and the Kiwis are number one in the RLIF rankings, we expect Australia to shrug off their number two ranking and reassert their dominance here. The odds available for their match against Scotland don’t make them a backable prospect on Friday, but we do fancy taking the price on offer for them to win the tournament as a whole.

With all of that said, we predict wins this Friday and Saturday for Australia and New Zealand and we will side with Australia to lift the 2016 Rugby League Four Nations trophy after the final on Sunday 20th November.

Sports.net’s top tip: Australia to win the 2016 Rugby League Four Nations – 8/15 with Ladbrokes

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